Do you know what herd immunity means? This article will tell you everything that you need to know about the meaning of herd immunity.
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Kevin
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April 28, 2022
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Common Questions
Do you know what herd immunity means? This article will tell you everything that you need to know about the meaning of herd immunity.
With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping over the nation, you’ve probably heard a lot about the immune system lately. That said, do you know what herd immunity means? Or how it’s different from active immunity?
Not to worry — this guide will tell you everything you need to know about herd immunity, including what it is and how it’s achieved. Let’s get started!
Throughout the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 and all of its new variants, you have likely heard the term Herd Immunity, but what exactly does this type of immunity to infectious disease mean?
Herd Immunity is a type of indirect protection or immunity to a particular disease, illness, or infection. Herd immunity is sometimes referred to as community immunity, group protection, herd protection, and population immunity.
Herd protection can work against the spread of various diseases. It works for several reasons. For example, most of us are vaccinated against rubella (MMR), mumps, and measles before the age of two in the United States.
By decreasing viral circulation and simply lowering the chance someone who is unvaccinated may encounter the disease, we have been able to control various contagious diseases such as:
However, there are also various reasons why it does not work under certain conditions — so how does herd protection work?
Many bacterial and viral infections are spread through a chain; from person to person, these infections are transmitted. When a large portion of a population cannot transmit or even get the disease, herd immunity is in full effect, working to break down that chain, slowing or often stopping the spread of the disease.
Group protection truly helps those with lower functioning immune systems or unvaccinated people. Group protection also helps those that, due to certain circumstances, may develop an infection easier such as:
There are a few key ways to prevent yourself and your peers from potentially transmitting or contracting the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), such as:
That being said, herd immunity may not be the best practice for stopping the spread of the new coronavirus and its variants, Omicron and Delta.
Doctors simply don’t know why some of those who have contracted SARS-CoV-2 have severe conditions while others have mild conditions. Some other reasons include:
On your journey to learn all things “herd immunity” related, there are quite a few different terms and words that you will run into. With all these various terms, things can get a little confusing. To keep confusion to a minimum, we have a few of the most common terms and their definitions listed below:
In conclusion, population immunity, community immunity, or herd immunity refers to the ability to repel an illness or infectious disease by a large population.
Herd immunity can be created through vaccination, previous exposure to the illness, or natural immunity. When enough people are vaccinated, it helps protect society and creates herd immunity.